BBC – Türkiye’nin AB Üyeliği Hakkında Mülakat (İngilizce)

CHP Genel Başkan Yardımcısı Onur Öymen’nin BBC’ye verdiği mülakat 16 Aralık 2004

I believe that we don’t have enough elements to be optimistic. Because, according to the draft resolutions to be proposed by the Dutch Presidency to the summit what EU is actually preparing is to offer a date to Turkey for something less than full membership. These proposals are not acceptable because they foresee some permanent restrictions for Turkey on basic rights like free circulation of persons, agriculture and social policies. So if you don’t have full rights you are not a full member. We hope that they will revise this text and make it acceptable for Turkey. At this moment what Europe proposes to Turkey is something like an omelette without eggs.

It would be a big mistake for Europe to erect an iron curtain of religion and culture in the middle of Europe. We don’t believe that we are going to shape the future of Europe on the basis of religion. Nobody asked our religion when we joined the Council of Europe, to other European institution, to NATO. All of a sudden the religion of the Turkish people was brought to the forefront. We don’t believe that such an approach is compatible with European values.

Turkish membership to the European Union was one of the basic targets of our foreign policy in the last 40 years. We signed an association agreement in 1963 with a clear objective of full membership of Turkey to the Union. So the decision on whether Turkey should join Europe or not was decided already 40 years ago. Therefore we are surprised today that some politicians, even some governments question whether Turkey should join Europe. The question should be when and under which conditions.  We are  surprised to hear some objections to Turkey’s membership on the basis of religion or other considerations.